BETHANY PITCHING TURNS WILD IN LOSS TO UW-SUPERIOR

March 20 - FORT PIERCE, Fla. – Senior OF Mark Cummins (Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional) and sophomore CF Tyler Dillinger (McKeesport, Pa.) both had three hits, but the Bethany pitching staff’s wildness proved costly in a 12-5 loss to Wisconsin-Superior Friday in the Bison’s final game of their spring break trip.

In the opening two innings, Bethany’s defense stepped up by throwing out three Yellowjackets on the base paths. Freshman catcher T.J. Zarewicz (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) threw out one runner trying to steal second and junior RF Chris Leasure (Stafford, Ohio/Monroe Central) gunned down one trying to go from first to third on a single.

Sophomore 3B Matt Nemec (New Brighton, Pa./Riverside) used a heads-up play to throw out a runner in the second. After a Superior leadoff single, the next batter dropped a bunt down the third base line. Nemec didn’t have a play on the batter, but threw behind the lead runner at the second to catch him off-guard for the first out of the inning.

The Bison wildness started to hurt them in the third. One batter was hit and he later scored on a wild pitch, which made it 2-0 Superior after an RBI groundout opened the scoring.

Issues continued in the fourth, as BC hurlers walked five, threw one wild pitch and an error allowed the Yellowjackets to score seven runs with only three hits, as they built a 9-0 lead after four innings.

Bethany’s offense, which had just three hits through the first four innings, came alive in the fifth. Consecutive singles by freshman DH Alejandro Texeira (Miami, Fla./Homestead), Zarewicz and Cummins loaded the bases with no outs. Dillinger brought in a pair by lashing a double to the right-field corner and after a groundout, Leasure ripped a two-run double to the gap in right-center to slice the BC deficit to 9-4.

The Bison would not get any closer however. They were held scoreless until the ninth when Dillinger scored on an error, but Superior had tacked on one run in the seventh and two more in the eighth to put the game away.

Although Bethany posted a 13-10 advantage in hits, Superior took advantage of 12 walks and four hit batsmen. Sophomore Mike Muklewicz (Bridgeport, Ohio) took the loss on the hill for the Green and White to fall to 0-2. Sophomore Adam Nyswaner (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) posted a good effort in long relief, throwing a career-high three innings and giving up just one run on two hits while striking out two.

For the Bison at the plate, Cummins was 3-for-4 and scored twice, while Dillinger finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs and one run scored. Leasure and freshman SS Chad Stephen (Barnesville, Ohio) had two hits apiece as well.

Bethany finished their spring break trip with a 1-5 record. They take the field for the first time up north Tuesday when BC hosts 22nd-ranked Thiel for their home and PAC opener. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.